Play Digital Signage alternative. Just $6/month.
Play looks like $8 — until you realise Power BI, the API, touch, alerts, screen tagging, and emergency CAP all sit on Pro at $12 (or Ultimate at $16). Brix is $6 flat with every feature on the base plan.
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Play has three tiers. We have one.
$6 vs $12 — every feature on the base plan
Play Pro at $12/screen is where the platform actually shows up — Power BI, the API, touch, slide conditions, alerts, screen tagging, CAP emergency, screen capture. Brix gives you that same feature set on the base $6 plan. Half the price, none of the upsell ladder.
Tier upsells aren't optional
Play Essential at $8 looks like the entry point — until you realise proof-of-play, audit logs, and AudienceAware analytics all sit on Ultimate at $16. By year two most operators are paying $12-$16. Brix has every feature on day one.
US support and free custom apps
Play is run from Denmark — capable, but you're emailing across timezones when something breaks at the dinner rush. Brix support is US-based, phone available, and we build custom signage apps with Claude Code on request, free, on the base plan.
Their tiers. Then ours.
Play Digital Signage tier ladder
- Play Digital Signage Essential $8
- Play Digital Signage Pro — most popular $12
- Play Digital Signage Ultimate $16
- 10 screens / 1 yearSave $720
- 10 screens / 3 yearsSave $2,160
- vs Play Digital Signage Pro50% cheaper
Every feature. Every tier.
69 features compared head-to-head. Brix is the column on the left — every cell, every tier. Tier badges show which Play Digital Signage plan is required to unlock the feature.
| Feature | Brix · $6 flat | Play Digital Signage Essential $8 | Play Digital Signage Pro $12 | Play Digital Signage Ultimate $16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content & media | ||||
| Image upload & playback | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Video upload & playback | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Document upload & display (PDF, Word, PowerPoint) Play Digital Signage Pro $12 | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web pages / HTML / web URL | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| YouTube / live streaming | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Authenticated / secured web pages Play Digital Signage Pro $12 | Public + basic auth | — | HTML/script | HTML/script |
| + 1 more comparable feature in Content & media | ||||
| Layout & design | ||||
| Multi-zone / split-screen layouts | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drag-and-drop layout editor | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pre-built templates (count) | Curated set | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto-size text / responsive templates | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lockable layouts Play Digital Signage Pro $12 | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Canva integration | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| + 1 more comparable feature in Layout & design | ||||
| Scheduling & playlists | ||||
| Build playlists | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Day-parting / time-of-day scheduling | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Advanced media scheduling rules Play Digital Signage Pro $12 | ✓ | — | ✓ Slide Conditions | ✓ Slide Conditions |
| Multi-display in-sync playback / video wall sync Play Digital Signage Pro $12 | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Campaign play (rotate brand assets) Play Digital Signage Ultimate $16 | ✓ | — | — | ✓ Ad Cycle |
| Emergency alerts (CAP protocol) Play Digital Signage Pro $12 | Manual override | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| + 6 more comparable features in Scheduling & playlists | ||||
| Apps & integrations | ||||
| App count | 9 + custom-built on request | 20+ | 25+ | 30+ |
| Custom-built apps on request | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Slack integration | Webhook-based | — | — | — |
| Power BI dashboards Play Digital Signage Pro $12 | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open API Play Digital Signage Pro $12 | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zapier integration | ✓ | — | — | — |
| + 1 more comparable feature in Apps & integrations | ||||
| Interactive & kiosk | ||||
| Interactive kiosk app Play Digital Signage Pro $12 | Touch on Windows/Android TV | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Storage & limits | ||||
| Cloud storage | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Screen count limit | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Per-file upload size limit | No fixed cap | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Vendor logo on screen (free of) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Users, roles & workflow | ||||
| Multi-user accounts | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Team workspaces / channels | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Role-based access control | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom branding (white-label admin) | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Folders for presentations / schedules / displays | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-language UI | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Analytics & reporting | ||||
| Proof-of-play / impression reporting Play Digital Signage Ultimate $16 | ✓ | — | — | ✓ |
| Time-segment / date-range reports Play Digital Signage Ultimate $16 | ✓ | — | — | ✓ |
| Email notifications on display online/offline Play Digital Signage Pro $12 | ✓ | — | ✓ Alerts | ✓ Alerts |
| Live snapshot / channel preview Play Digital Signage Pro $12 | ✓ | — | ✓ Screen Capture | ✓ Screen Capture |
| Remote management (RDM) | ||||
| Power schedule (auto on/off) Play Digital Signage Pro $12 | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Remote troubleshooting / diagnostics Play Digital Signage Pro $12 | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zero-touch player provisioning | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Bulk content push Play Digital Signage Pro $12 | ✓ | — | ✓ Multi-Create | ✓ Multi-Create |
| Bulk display management (multi-screen actions) Play Digital Signage Pro $12 | ✓ | — | ✓ Tags | ✓ Tags |
| Volume control | ✓ | — | — | — |
| + 4 more comparable features in Remote management (RDM) | ||||
| Security & compliance | ||||
| Multi-factor authentication (MFA / passkeys) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Audit logs Play Digital Signage Ultimate $16 | ✓ | — | — | ✓ |
| IP allow-list / restrictions | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Custom data residency | US/EU on request | — | — | — |
| Penetration testing (annual) | Annual | — | — | — |
| HECVAT / CAIQ / SIG (vendor risk forms) | On request | — | — | — |
| + 2 more comparable features in Security & compliance | ||||
| Hardware compatibility | ||||
| Amazon Signage Stick (Fire OS) | Default device | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android TV / Google TV | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows PC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Samsung Tizen native (SoC TV) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| LG WebOS native | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Raspberry Pi | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| + 1 more comparable feature in Hardware compatibility | ||||
| Support | ||||
| Phone support | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Video / scheduled remote support | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Same-business-hour SLA | ✓ | — | — | — |
| US-based support team | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Dedicated CSM / account manager | High-touch standard | — | — | — |
| Free migration assistance | ✓ | — | — | — |
| + 3 more comparable features in Support | ||||
| Deployment options | ||||
| Cloud / SaaS | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| On-premise install | On request | — | — | — |
| Private cloud | Custom on request | — | — | — |
| Billing | ||||
| Free trial duration | 7 days | 14 days | 14 days | 14 days |
| Month-to-month billing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Minimum screen count | None | ✓ None | ✓ None | ✓ None |
Switch in under an hour. Free.
Export from Play Digital Signage
Pull your media library and screen list from your Play Digital Signage dashboard. Their UI lets you bulk-download assets; we'll rebuild your playlists, schedules, and zones for free.
Upload to Brix
Drag and drop your assets — or send us the export and we handle it.
Pair your screens
Code-based pairing on the same hardware you already own. No reflashing.
We rebuild your schedules
Free, regardless of plan or screen count. Most migrations live the same day.
Need help? We'll do the migration for you.
Free, regardless of plan or screen count. Send us your export and we'll have you live before your next standup.
Talk to a real humanWhat Play Digital Signage gets right. And where the math breaks.
What Play Digital Signage gets right
Play Digital Signage is a genuinely good product — clean UI, hardware-agnostic playback, refreshingly honest free tier (1 screen forever in exchange for a public review). The cloud-based editor is polished, the platform support is genuinely broad (Apple/Mac uniquely, plus all the usual suspects), and the AudienceAware analytics on Ultimate is a thoughtful feature set.
For a one-screen operator who genuinely just needs playback and is happy to leave a public review, Play's Free tier is hard to beat. For three-tier shoppers who already know they need Power BI, touch, and proof-of-play, Play has built a sensible platform around those needs.
Where the pricing math breaks
Play publishes three paid tiers: Essential at $8, Pro at $12, and Ultimate at $16 — plus a free tier capped at 1 screen and conditioned on a public review.
The wedge sits at the tier transitions. Essential is missing Power BI, touch, the API, alerts, tags, sync, screen power scheduling, slide conditions, and CAP emergency support. Pro covers most of those but not proof-of-play, dashboard, audit logs, or AudienceAware. Ultimate has everything but you're paying 2.7× the Brix rate.
A 10-screen Pro deployment is $1,440/year vs Brix at $720 — a $720/year gap. Ultimate widens that to $1,200/year. Over 3 years on Pro that's $2,160 in real-money savings, before the value of free custom-built apps and US-based phone support.
For three-screen operators on Essential, the pricing is closer ($8 vs $6, modest annual gap) — the wedge there is bundle: $6 + Power BI + Touch + API + free customs + US support all on one plan vs $8 with most of the real platform behind a tier upgrade.
When Play Digital Signage is the right choice
Play Digital Signage is the right call for a one-screen operator who can leave a public review and genuinely doesn't need any of the Pro/Ultimate features. The hardware-agnostic playback (especially the Mac OS support, which is rare in this category) is a real differentiator for buyers who already have idle Mac Minis or iPads.
For multi-screen deployments, anyone who needs Power BI / touch / API / proof-of-play, or anyone wanting US-based phone support — Brix is the better fit at half the per-screen price with everything bundled.
Read the full breakdown: Best Play Digital Signage alternatives →
Real questions. Real answers.
Play Essential is $8 and Brix is $6 — is the gap really meaningful?
Only if you stay on Essential. Most operators move to Pro at $12 once they need Power BI, touch, the API, or screen tagging. That's where the wedge gets real — $12 vs $6 = $720/year saved on 10 screens. Plus Brix bundles free custom apps and US-based phone support that Play doesn't offer at any tier.
Can I keep my hardware?
Yes — Brix runs on the same hardware Play does. Amazon Signage Stick, Android TV, Windows, Tizen, WebOS, BrightSign, Raspberry Pi. The one place Play has a unique edge is Mac OS — Brix doesn't run there natively today (web URL workaround exists).
Does Brix have the AudienceAware analytics on Play Ultimate?
Not yet, no — that's a real Play Ultimate feature. If face-detection demographics are core to your use case, Play Ultimate genuinely earns the price there. For most operators that feature is over-spec for the actual need.
What about Mac OS / iPad / Apple TV support?
Play has stronger Mac OS support than Brix today. Brix runs Apple TV via PWA — workable but not native. If you have an existing Mac Mini fleet, Play has the edge on hardware compatibility there.
Free migration?
Yes — send us your Play export, we rebuild your screens, playlists, schedules, and zones for free. Most migrations live the same day, regardless of which Play tier you're on.
Will Brix support every Play tier feature?
Most of them, on the base plan. The exceptions: AudienceAware (face-detection demographics), Mac OS native, BETA Updates channel. Everything else — Power BI, touch, API, alerts, screen tagging, CAP emergency, audit logs, proof-of-play — Brix has on the $6 base plan.
Stop paying for tiers. Start at $6.
Play Digital Signage customers move to Brix every week. The migration is free. The price is flat. The features are all included.